


Got That Solid Gold Country 33 on Repeat

by pikedexter



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Let Alex Mercer Say Fuck (Julie and The Phantoms), M/M, Past Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Peters-centric (Julie and The Phantoms)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29846124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikedexter/pseuds/pikedexter
Summary: Five times Reggie listens to country music and one time he plays it.Aka: I love country music and I love jatp so I'm combining the two.
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	Got That Solid Gold Country 33 on Repeat

**Author's Note:**

> hi hi hello. it's my birthday so this is my gift for myself. beta'd by [nightcassette](archiveofourown.org/users/nightcassette). thank you so much!  
> title from all night by brothers osbourne bc yesss mainstream gay country singer

1.

The first time Reggie hears country music he’s five years old.

He’s sitting criss cross applesauce on his grandparents’ living room floor as his grandpa plays records. The horns immediately grab his attention.

_ Love is a burning thing and it makes a fiery ring… _

The baritone voice croons and he’s hooked.

_ I fell into a burning ring of fire... _

“Grandpa, what’s this?” he asks.

“This is real music. Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash,” his grandpa answers. Reggie isn’t really sure what “real music” means, but he knows he likes this.

_ The taste of love is sweet when hearts like ours meet... _

He happily sings along. When the song ends, he begs his grandpa to play more.

2.

_ Why’d you come in here lookin’ like that… _

Reggie is the first to the studio by a lot, having come early to escape his parents’ latest fight. He has Dolly cranked up, drowning out the last of the anxiety.

_ Why you’re almost givin’ me a heart attack when you waltz right in here lookin’ like that... _

“Really, Reg? Country?” Luke asks, exasperated, when he walks in and Reggie gets distracted by his arms for a second before shaking himself.

“It’s good!” Reggie defends. “And hey I’ve been working on a song-”

“No. We’re a rock band,” Luke cuts him off, walking over and turning off the music.

They sit in silence save for the sounds of tuning instruments while they wait for the others to arrive.

Luke and Alex have seemed different lately but he can’t put his finger on it. Right now they’re stealing little looks and touches, smiling softly at each other when they think Reggie isn’t looking. He doesn’t know why, but it does something to his chest.

Bobby is last to arrive, despite it being his house, looking sheepish and saying something about a girl.

“Finally,“ Luke says, getting up from the couch. “Now let’s practice. We gotta be  _ perfect _ for the Orpheum next week.”

3.

_ Plowing these fields in the hot summer sun... _

When Reggie finds a song about tractors being sexy he’s kind of unsure. But this song is fun and he’s sort of dancing along when Alex comes in.

_ She thinks my tractor’s sexy, it really turns her on… _

“What the fuck?” Alex says loudly as he enters the studio. Reggie jumps, startled, and spins around. “She thinks my tractor’s sexy? What the hell is this?”

“It's a country song I found! Isn't it fun?” Reggie responds, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“It’s...something,” Alex says, eyeing him.

4.

Luke loves Julie. And that's good for them, but it really sucks for Reggie. He wishes Luke had never sung to him like he had. Maybe then his feelings never would have occurred to him. But now, he can't stop thinking about it.

Reggie loves Luke. That’s something he can’t ignore anymore. He’s trying to take his mind off the recent revelation, scrolling through youtube looking through more country music he missed. He finds one called Teardrops On My Guitar.

_ I bet she’s beautiful, that girl he talks about, she's got everything I have to live without... _

It’s just like him and Luke and he’s crying.

_ He’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar… _

Alex finds him like that and sits beside him, wrapping an arm around him. They sit like that until the song ends.

_ I fake a smile so he won’t see... _

“So Luke huh?” Alex asks softly, rubbing Reggie’s arm. “I mean I can’t say I blame you. Been there, done that. He stole one of my t-shirts and cut the sleeves off.” Reggie laughs despite himself.

A beat, and then Alex’s words click.

“Wait, you and Luke? When?” he asks.

“Back in ‘95. It didn't last long. We realized we were better as friends and broke up a couple days before the Orpheum,” Alex says simply. Reggie’s eyes widen.

“Wow,” he says. But then, “You know what? That makes sense, actually.”

They’re quiet for a moment.

“But you know there’s not really anything there right?” Reggie’s head snaps up.

“What?”

“Yeah. They're just friends. You should tell him how you feel,” Alex tells him with a nudge.

“I could ne-” Reggie starts.

“Just think about it, okay?” Alex cuts him off. Reggie nods.

5.

Reggie is still thinking about what Alex said when he comes across a song a couple weeks later.

_ It started way back in third grade… _

It actually had been third grade he and Luke had met.

_ Do you love me do you want to be my friend? _

Maybe he could write Luke a note? It might be less scary that way. Then he wouldn’t have to look Luke in the eye and get rejected, he could just leave the note somewhere.

_ I think this is how love goes. Check yes or no. _

He writes the note and leaves it in Luke’s songbook.

It’s a few days later he finds the note tucked underneath the strings on his bass.

_ Do you love me? Do you want to be more than friends? _

_ And if you do well then don't be afraid to take me by the hand if you want to _

_ I think this is how love goes _

_ Check (yes) or no _

Reggie grins at the circled yes. He looks up and sees Luke standing a few feet away.

“So-” he starts but Reggie rushes forward, pressing their lips together.

“See? Country music is good for something,” Reggie says when they break apart.

“What?” Luke asks, confused.

“The note. It’s from a country song,” Reggie tells him.

“You-” Reggie cuts him off with another kiss.

+1.

Julie, true to her word, learns how to fiddle. She already knew how to play the violin so it wasn't too hard, she says.

She is the one to put her foot down about finally playing one of Reggie’s country songs at a gig. Luke surprisingly doesn’t put up much of a fight. Maybe because it was country that got them together. Though he still fakes annoyance for appearances.

“This last song is a little different than our usual stuff,” Julie introduces, “Our bassist Reggie wrote it.”

_ Home, what is it really? Sometimes it’s a someone and not a place _

Reggie hasn’t sung lead before, it’s fun. He doesn’t mind playing bass and singing back up, but it’d be nice to do this more.

_ I see that beautiful beast ridin’ up to me and I know that I am home _

The banjo solo at the end is a hit and Reggie smiles wide as they all bow.

“Okay, that was a hit.  _ Maybe _ we can mix in a  _ little _ country,” Luke says backstage after.

“I told you!” Reggie exclaims, and Luke rolls his eyes but leans in and kisses him.

**Author's Note:**

> all the songs used are in [this playlist](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw_45qLwaEQvgcg2Iy2FxbLIeFvqOYkSW)  
> was criss cross applesauce a thing in the eighties? no. do i care? also no.  
> also the way this all started with she thinks my tractor's sexy playing on the radio ksjdjssjjs  
> thanks for reading!


End file.
